Receiving Jesus

Our first item of worship is Psalm 65. We sing to his praise in Psalm 65, and that's on page 82.

And Zion praise awaits you, Lord, to you our vows will pay. To you all people will come near,

do you hear us when we pray? When we were overwhelmed by sins and guilt upon us lay,

you pardoned all our trespasses and washed our guilt away. Psalm 65, these verses 1 to 5,

the tune is done firmly to God's praise.

Amen.

In Zion praise awaits you, Lord, to you our vows will pay.

To you all people will come near, you hear us when we pray.

When we were overwhelmed by sins and guilt upon us lay, you pardoned all our trespasses and washed our guilt away.

We are blessed, our love, to you to the rain, with a new force of grace.

We're filled with blessings in your heart, in your most holy place.

With awesome deeds of righteousness, you answered us, O God, our Savior, hope of earth's ease, and of the earth abroad.

Amen.

Once again, let's join together in prayer to God.

O Lord, our God, our gracious and eternal God, we thank you again that we can gather here this

evening as worshipers around your Word, and that we can engage in these aspects of worship

that we are so familiar with. We pray, Lord, that you would keep us from a mere familiarity

or a mere sense of routine. Give us, we pray, Lord, when we call upon your name that we may do so,

conscious that we are speaking with the God of whom we have been singing,

and conscious that you have reminded us in these words of your readiness to answer us.

We ask, O Lord, that you would help us as we study your Word and as we come to sing your praises,

that we will do so with a thinking heart, the mind ready to receive these aspects of your truth,

and to use your Word as we sing your praise. We give thanks, Lord, tonight that we are reminded

once again of your greatness, of your claim over the whole of your creation,

for you are the God of the whole universe, the God who has reminded us that you uphold all things by

the Word of your power, and that it is to you that all human beings are answerable ultimately.

Help us, Lord, we pray, to come in that holy fear by which we would, with awe and reverence and love

for you, fall down before you now in the quiet of our hearts, and come, Lord, to give ourselves anew to you

in a willing service. We thank you that your Word has already guided us today

to those issues to do with the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, to that which he accomplished

by his death at Calvary. And we do give thanks, O Lord, for your presence with us, for the way in which

you use both word and sacrament to edify your people. We pray that we may carry these things

with us from this Lord's day, both then and now, so that they may indeed form in our minds throughout

this coming week, the basis of our thoughts. We thank you, O Lord, for all the goodness we receive

from you. Lord, we come before you each Lord's day at the beginning of each week, reflecting upon the

many aspects of your goodness, and yet we confess that throughout each week we fail to take account

properly and tellingly of these aspects of your goodness that meet us in our daily living.

For your goodness extends to us not only in the gospel, but in the course of life that you provide

us with so much that we are given to enjoy and benefit from throughout each day. And we thank you

that you remember us with plenty for our bodily needs, that you remember us in such a favorable

situation as you've placed us in, so that we have access to medical resources, access to good

education, access to so many things down through the years, O Lord, that you have provided us with

in your providence and kindness. And we give thanks for that, and we pray that these may continue with

us. For by our own neglect, O Lord, it would be all too easy for you to withdraw them and to teach us

of our dependability, of our dependence upon yourself and on your dependability as our God.

We pray tonight, Lord, as we consider aspects of your Word anew, that you might draw us to yourself

as we do so, and that we may be conscious that you are here. Lord, we remember Solomon's great

declaration as the dedication of the temple took place, that the heavens of heavens could not contain

you, much less this building that he had erected. And so it is, O Lord, with this building, this place of

worship, this place we are so familiar with and so precious to us. We confess that it is but small,

tiny in your own presence compared to your greatness. Yet we thank you that you're pleased

at times to fill it with your presence, that you're pleased to use it in such a way as to gather us

together so that we experience more of your blessing. We pray that you would enable us to speak and to

hear in a way that we truly be aware that you are speaking to us, that you are giving us the ability

to speak and to hear. We ask your blessing to be with us as a congregation following our communion this

morning. We thank you, Lord, for every occasion when the death of the Lord is remembered by us,

and when you enable us to gather in such a fashion. We pray for all today who were at your table.

We ask that you would bless us as we seek your strengthening for that journey of life through

which you take us. And we pray that you would strengthen us to be your own living and consistent

disciples in the world. We pray that you would protect us and keep us, that you would direct our

steps each day in the ways of your truth. We pray especially, Lord, for Anna, who was there at the

table for the first time today. We pray for Anna, and we ask that you would bless her as she begins

her life as a professing Christian. We thank you for her presence with us. We pray that you would

encourage her, O Lord, as she has taken this step. We pray for any who may have been at your table today

for the last time. We know not, Lord, what a day or a week or months may actually bring to us.

We have already, Lord, come through years when things happened that we were not expectant of,

and yet you brought us safely through, and you enabled us, Lord, to look to you. We pray that that

will be the case in these days and weeks and months to come. We pray that you bless again our children,

those who are witnesses of the sacrament today, and those who are not, or those who were at home.

We pray that you bless them, bless those, and bless them as they receive the teaching of your word and

those who teach them. We thank you, Lord, for every encouragement you give us with regard to our

young people. Bless us in the fellowship again this evening. Help us, Lord, as we take an interest in

the work of camps, that you would enable us, Lord, to do so prayerfully and meaningfully as we remember

the young people that anticipate being at camps this coming summer. And we pray for those who have

given of themselves to help with camps as leaders, those who are giving practical help as cooks,

those who are helping with transport. In every way, Lord, those who help with the running of our camps.

We thank you for the encouragement it gives us to see so many children and young people coming

to attend the summer camps. We pray that they will return much blessed in their souls,

and that you would encourage, oh, Lord, those who seek to teach them and to give them guidance

during that time. We ask your blessing, Lord, to be with us in all the activities that are listed for

this week in our bulletin. We pray that you would bless these, whether they be formal times of worship

or fellowships or times when we meet with others informally. Bless everything that's done in your

name, we pray, and help us as we seek to go on serving you as a congregation, that you would continue,

Lord, to encourage us and to provide us with further evidence that you are blessing your word amongst us

and that you are taking us as your people as we take you as our God. Bless the world in which we live.

Lord, we are so conscious of so many different aspects of need in our own society and throughout

the world. We pray, Lord, for those who are seeking to uphold your truth in different contexts

in our own land, whether it be in our schools, other aspects of our community life.

We pray that you would bless every effort made to show the love of God and the authority of God

and the gospel of God in our society. We pray for those who rule over us in Parliament.

We ask that you would bless them, and we pray that our prayer and our remembrance of them may not

simply be a matter of form, but that in our hearts we will sincerely seek their good and seek for them

the wisdom that you alone are able to impart. We pray that that may be their portion during such

difficult times as we face. We pray tonight for those who are ill, those of our own number especially,

and commend them to you again, as well as those who mourn the passing of loved ones who are always with

us from week to week. Grant them your comfort. Grant them your upholding and your strengthening.

And graciously bless throughout the world, O Lord, people in such diversity and sometimes in such great

need. We pray tonight again for those facing the terror of war and terrorism of different kinds,

those who are fearful for their lives as they declare their faith in the Lord, those who face such

opposition for having turned to the Lord and left whatever religions or lack of religion they had.

We ask, Lord, that you would be pleased to bless them and encourage them in the way.

We pray too for those who have come to face the difficulties of disaster. We pray again for those

in India who have lost loved ones in this terrible train crash. O Lord God, we commend them to you and to

your grace and to your own compassion. And we pray that you would remember them from your throne on high

and give to them the way with all that they need to deal with such a calamity. And so, Lord, we ask that

you'd continue to bless us as we live out our lives in this world. And Lord, whatever we may think of

ourselves, help us at all times to be concerned to present you to the world as a God who is faithful,

a God who is just, a God who is loving and kind, but will by no means clear the guilty.

Hear us, we pray, forgiving your sin for Jesus' sake. Amen.

We'll sing again to God's praise this time, Psalm 63. Once again, let's sing Psalms in Psalm 63.

Tune is Cresselius, verses 1-8. That's on page 80.

So, verses 1-8.

O God, you are my God alone. I seek your face with eagerness.

My soul and body thirst for you in this dry, weary wilderness.

Psalm 63, and verses 1-8.

O God, you are my God alone. I seek your face with eagerness.

My soul and body thirst for you in this dry, weary wilderness.

I seek your face with eagerness.

I seek your face with eagerness.

I seek your face with eagerness.

I seek your face with eagerness.

I seek your face with eagerness.

I seek your face with eagerness.

I seek your face with eagerness.

Upon my bed I lie away, and in my thoughts remember you.

I meditated throughout the night, and he knew constant love in view.

Because you are my help alone, in shadow of your wings I'll sing.

You hold me up with your bright hand, to you, O God, my soul will gain.

Amen.

Son of David, have mercy on me.

And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him.

And when he came near, he asked him, What do you want me to do for you?

He said, Lord, let me recover my sight.

And Jesus said to him, Recover your sight.

Your faith has made you well.

And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God.

And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

He entered Jericho and was passing through, and there was a man named Zacchaeus.

He was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.

And he was seeking to see who Jesus was.

But on account of the crowd, he could not, because he was small of stature.

So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him,

for he was about to pass that way.

And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him,

Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.

So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.

And when they saw it, they all grumbled,

He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.

And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord,

Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor.

And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.

Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house,

since he also is a son of Abraham.

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

Amen. May God bless again a reading of his word.

Once again, we'll praise him this time from Psalm 51.

Psalm number 51 in the Scottish Psalter,

and singing verses 6 to 10.

And the tune is St. Kilda.

Behold thou in the inward parts, with truth delighted art.

In wisdom thou shalt make me know within the hidden part.

Do thou with hyssop sprinkle me, I shall be cleansed so.

Yea, wash thou me, and then I shall be whiter than the snow.

Of gladness and of joyfulness make me to hear the voice,

that so these very bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

All mine iniquities blot out.

Thy face hide from my sin.

Create a clean heart.

Lord, renew a right spirit.

Me within.

Singing these verses 6 to 10 on page 281,

and the tune is St. Kilda.

Behold thou in the inward parts.

With truth delighted art.

Behold thou in the inward parts, with truth delighted art.

And wisdom thou shalt make me know within the hidden part.

Do thou with hyssop.

Do thou with hyssop.

Hear ye may know within the inside.

耳

and of joyfulness

make me to hear

the voice

that's all these

very poems

which thou

hast broken

Mary

rejoice

all my

iniquities

slaughter

thy face

I

from my

shame

create

a

in

our

for

we

you

arise

let

me

with

him

now please turn with me to Luke chapter 19

Luke 19 · chapter mention

Luke chapter 19 the first part of the chapter there that we read a minute ago

Luke 19 · chapter mention

where we find the account here of change in the life of Zacchaeus

a very well known Bible incident I'm sure to most of us but one of continuing interest

as we look to ourselves and our relationship to the Lord

well we're told here that Zacchaeus was small of stature he was a little man and I'm sure as would have been the case in most of these instances and still the case as a little man and he was obviously quite small he couldn't see over the crowd

that he would have been

Zacchaeus would have been the case in the case in the case in the case in the case in the case in the case of the Lord and Zacchaeus would have met with that sort of comment many times in the history in his own history in his own experience

but we're told here not only was he small in stature

but he was big in terms of

his riches

he was rich he had plenty

of money

he was a chief

tax collector

and Jericho

was a very lucrative place for tax collectors especially for the chief tax collector

because I'm sure you know that chief tax collectors especially

not only could gather in the taxes that were set by the government of the time

but they very very often extorted extra money

from the people just to fill their own pockets

and for many reasons but that especially was a reason why they were hated by the public

because that's the kind of ruthless attitude they had to people's lives

and to people's money

they were there to just make a packet

they were there to fill their own pockets to make themselves rich

and undoubtedly

Zacchaeus fell into that sort of thinking

and practice in his own life

because as we'll see after the change

that had come on him

was made obvious

he said to the Lord

if I've defrauded anyone of anything I restored it

fourfold

and you certainly get the impression from that

that Zacchaeus knew very well

that he had defrauded people previously

and was now making restitution

as something that followed on

from the change in his life

but however rich he was in monetary terms

this was a day that made him rich beyond measure

made him rich spiritually

a day that he could look back upon and say

that's the day that I came really to possess

true and lasting treasure

that's the day I came to know Jesus

that's the day I met him

that's the day he changed my life

that's the day when I realized

that all my riches

were of no avail to me

if I didn't have the treasure of eternal life

and that's where he was made rich beyond measure

through what happened to him

on this occasion

and I want to just take the fact

that he was a little man

small of stature

and just use that in our headings tonight

to just work our way through this passage

and we'll look first of all

at the little man's big effort

the effort he went to

in order to come to see Jesus for himself

secondly the little man's big change

because the change that came over him

is obvious from the way that he then speaks

about himself

and the way that he now sees things

compared to how he once lived

the little man's big change

and thirdly the little man's big heart

because the change that Jesus brought about

in his life

meant that it opened his heart

to remember the needs of others

and instead of lining his pockets

he was actually opening up his pockets

and saying Lord

here is what I give

I give half of my goods to the poor

and if I have defrauded anyone

I restore it fourfold

in other words

he was going beyond

the accepted level of restitution

that was in society there at the time

and he was saying

yes I'm going beyond that

I want to restore it fourfold

not just twofold

so these are the three points

that we want to follow out briefly tonight

the little man's big effort

the little man's big change

and the little man's big heart

now the effort he made was

very clear from the passage

his interest in Jesus

is itself of significance to us

there was a man named Zacchaeus

he was chief tax collector

he was rich

and he was seeking to see

who Jesus was

he had a certain curiosity about Jesus

he'd heard about him no doubt

he maybe had seen him

or heard about his miracles

or his teaching beforehand

but for whatever reason

he was keen to see him

he was seeking to see

who Jesus was

maybe he had heard about him

maybe he had heard some of the remarkable things

that Jesus had done

and that had quickened his interest

and quickened his curiosity

so when he heard that

Jesus was on this journey

and that he came through Jericho

he actually made a point

of going to see who he was

despite the handicap

of his littleness of stature

and many people begin

their spiritual journey

from an interest in Jesus

because Jesus evokes your interest

you can hardly read the gospels

especially

without being taken up

in some way or other

by how remarkable this person is

and was at the time

when you actually read through the gospels

and you begin to realize

just what a unique person Jesus was then

and is

it surely piques your interest

to actually find out more about him

and to come to know him for yourself

it certainly was for this man Zacchaeus

he was seeking to see who he was

so he went to a great effort

to actually find a vantage point

where he could see him

and you see the description there

that Luke gives is quite detailed

he was too small to look over the crowd

so what did he do

he ran on the head

and climbed up into a sycamore tree

to see him

for he was about to pass that way

he made that sycamore tree

his vantage point

that he could see over the crowd then

and see Jesus

and see who he was

and finally catch a glimpse

if he had not before

of this remarkable person

and that was a considerable effort

for a little man

to actually make his way

into a sycamore tree

to see Jesus

and he was not embarrassed

to read

to run on ahead

of the crowd

to climb up into this tree

not necessarily

the most dignified thing to do

but that's what he did

because he was determined

to see this Jesus for himself

and surely that

impresses us

with the question

that we have to put to ourselves

what sort of effort

are we making to see Jesus

because our vantage point

you really might say

is the gospel

the tree

if you like

from which we see Jesus

is the gospel

and the accounts we have

in the gospel

about this Jesus

that's our vantage point

that's the point

from which we look down

and see Jesus

if you like

as he's described for us

in the gospel

in the Bible

the point is tonight

for you and for me

how much of an effort

how much of a concern

was it on our part

to come here tonight

and to see Jesus

for ourselves

to see him spiritually

I mean

to see him in the gospel

to see him passing by us

in the gospel

as it were

has it been of such significance

to us

that we really

like this man

would go to every possible effort

to see Jesus for ourselves

or are we just here

because it's something

we're used to be doing

we're used to doing

something that we're familiar with

something of a ritual for us

something of a habit

well it's a very good habit

I don't want to decry that

but are we not here

making every effort

to see the Lord

and concerned above everything else

to meet with Jesus

to see him

for ourselves

are we happy

tonight just to stay put

where we are in our lives

and not make an effort

to use every means

that God has given us

and made available to us

whether it's in the word preached

or in the sacrament

that we had this morning

which are themselves

as we say

vantage points

from which to see Jesus

I'm not suggesting

that it's by your effort

or by my effort

that we come to be saved

that we somehow gain

or build up a store

of merit

by which God is then

obliged to bless us

that's not what I'm saying

but I'm saying

that it's so important

to know Jesus

for yourself

to actually see him

with the eyes of your soul

with the eyes of faith

that's important

to see him

from the eyes of trust

to see him

from the vantage point

of the gospel

and say yes

now I see him

now I know who he is

is that your burden

is that your concern

tonight

to actually see Jesus

for yourself

Zacchaeus

used this opportunity

and despite

the handicap he had

he made every effort

to overcome that

in order to come

to see Jesus

for himself

the little man's

big effort

secondly

the little man's

big change

and the first thing

you find in that

is the way that

he was addressed

by Jesus

and it's so significant

that when Jesus

came to the place

he looked up

and said

Zacchaeus

hurry and come down

for I must

I must stay

at your house today

it becomes obvious

straight away

as you read that

that the Lord

knew this

this man

and he knew his name

and he knew all about him

and he knew

what was going to

what was going to happen

to him that day

and he knew his situation

and he was calling him

to do something about it

he gave him

his individual attention

and that's one of the most

remarkable things

about the Lord

that through the gospel

the Lord deals with us

so personally

so individually

so much concern

with our individual

personal needs

that it's as if

nobody else exists

in the world

but ourselves

because when Jesus

speaks into your soul

you're very conscious

that he's focusing

on you

and he's focusing

on you

with an intent

and a concern

that really is all

about your well-being

it's not something

in which he takes

a passing interest

it's not something

that he does

just because he thinks

there's a need to do it

he does it because

his concern is

to do you good

to actually come

and bless you

and for you to come

and receive him

as this man did

it's interesting isn't it

the previous

incident as well

the blind beggar

Bartimaeus

we're told

his name is elsewhere

very similarly

to Zacchaeus

when Jesus came

and when he was told

that it was Jesus

who was passing by

he cried out

Jesus son of David

have mercy on me

and then you find

that Jesus

stopped

and commanded him

to be brought to him

and so

he was brought to him

and there's so much

theology

and so much

spiritual importance

attached to these words

Jesus stopped

he did the same

here with Zacchaeus

he looked up

into the sycamore tree

where Zacchaeus

had placed himself

in order to see Jesus

and as soon as Jesus

reached the spot

he actually stopped

and looked up

into that tree

and called Zacchaeus

where he was

aren't you amazed

at these words

aren't you amazed

that the son of God

would actually make

the time

to stop over

a human life

in order to do

that life good

aren't you amazed

as you read that

that such a person

as you know yourself

to be

a needy sinner

who has rebelled

against God

who doesn't deserve

the eternal life

that Jesus died

to secure

that as he comes

to speak to you

through the gospel

not only does he speak

to you

as if you're the only

person in the world

but he stops

over you

he makes it known

to you

and makes it clear

to you

I am really

intensely interested

in you

and in your salvation

and in your well-being

and where you will

spend eternity

he stopped

and looked up

to where Zacchaeus

was

he gave him

his individual

attention

and divided

attention

as if nobody else

existed in the world

but then you see

he called him

he looked up

and said to him

Zacchaeus

hurry

and come down

for I must stay

at your house

today

and you can see

that that's in the form

of a summons

the authority

of Jesus

is packed

into these words

the way Luke

records them

for us

he didn't just

come to Zacchaeus

and look up

and say

would you like

to come

down from the tree

please

I've got something

to say to you

he said Zacchaeus

hurry and come down

it's a summons

it's a command

it's an imperative

because when Jesus

speaks

he speaks

with the authority

of God

the God

he is

it's no ordinary

man

and when God

has a dealing

with your soul

and with mine

you very soon

become conscious

that he's speaking

to you in a way

that no one else

can

and he's not

speaking here

to condemn him

he's speaking here

towards his salvation

but he's speaking

towards his salvation

to draw him

into that knowledge

of himself

by showing Zacchaeus

I am the king

I am the Lord

I'm the one

who has authority

over your life

I'm the one

that's calling you

now

to come down

from where you are

and come and see me

and it's the same

exactly the same

in the gospel

the call of Jesus

in the gospel

for you to come

and to know him

if you're here tonight

and you haven't yet

closed in

in your heart

with him

and received him

as Zacchaeus did

that call

is coming to you

with the full

authority of heaven

with all the authority

of the son of God

that's why it's such

a really serious thing

to actually not comply

with that summons

from God

that summons

where God is calling you

to himself

it's such a deep

and serious sin

just to bypass that

or let it go

and not reckon

with it seriously

because that's really

what's happening

in this building tonight

I'm being addressed

by God

you're being addressed

by God

I know you're hearing

a human voice

in this pulpit

but it's not the human voice

you're listening out for

though you're listening

to it

it's the voice

of God

in his word

the voice of God

in the exposition

of his word

the voice of Jesus

as he looks up

up to your vantage point

and as you look down

on him

as it were in the gospel

with the authority

of God himself

he is saying

hurry up

and come down

respond

to the fact

that I'm here

and you see

he's saying

hurry

go to it now

he's saying to Zacchaeus

Zacchaeus

hurry and come down

Jesus didn't come

to this sycamore tree

and look up

at Zacchaeus

and say there

look Zacchaeus

you really ought to

come down from there

and if you want to do that

that's fine

but you can leave it

until tomorrow

if you like

Zacchaeus

hurry

and come down

for today

I must abide

at your house

Jesus is saying

I must abide

at your house

not just saying

I'd like to do it

if you actually

will have me

I'd like to do it

if you feel

it's right

for me to come

and spend time

in your house

no this is

the same Jesus

the same authority

the same summons

the same voice

saying

I must abide

at your house

and because I must

abide at your house

hurry and come down

because I must do it

today

and so it is

the way he's addressing

you and I tonight

and especially

those of you

who have not yet

responded positively

to his call

on the gospel

who are still not saved

who have still not come

to yield obedience

to Christ

and he's saying

to you tonight

today

I require of you

to do this

today I need

to spend

time in your house

today I must

stay at your house

really rich again

in spiritual imagery

that isn't it

because

when he says here

I must stay

at your house

today

as you turn that

into what the gospel

is saying to you

what Jesus is saying

through the gospel

what he's really saying

amounts to the same thing

I actually need

I am

I'm calling on you

to respond

so that I can make

a home for myself

in your soul

Jesus is not asking us

to actually give ourselves

to him

in a part time fashion

as if

his living in your life

was just on a

B&B basis

Jesus doesn't do

B&B

in a spiritual sense

when he comes to

call us in the gospel

to open up our heart to him

to give him a home

in our hearts

he's saying

that's where I want to be

that's where I want to live

that's where I want you

to know me

as the occupant

of your soul

not just now and again

not just part time

but all the time

and forevermore

today

I must abide

I must stay

at your house

and what's the next thing

you read

so he hurried

and came down

and received him

joyfully

see the correspondence

with the manner

in which Zacchaeus

responded

and the call

of Jesus

the summons

that Jesus gave him

the summons said

hurry and come down

the response was

he hurried

and came down

he didn't say to Jesus

I'd like to

but can I leave it

till tomorrow

can I leave it

until I feel better

about it

can I feel

can I leave it

until I feel sure

about my bearings

he said

he hurried

and came down

and received him

joyfully

there is no delay

on the part

of Zacchaeus

the kind of delay

that you and I

know of in our own lives

the kind of delay

that perhaps is

right now

in your mind

in your exercise

where you're saying

well I hear the call

of Jesus

in the gospel

I know what he's saying

to me

but I'm not ready yet

no Jesus is saying

today

it's so important

that you don't say

tomorrow about it

it's so important

that you don't put it off

it's so important

that you respond now

while you hear

his voice

echoing in your heart

while you're aware

of his summons

calling you

to himself

you may not hear

that tomorrow

you may find

tomorrow

that it's gone

you may find

tomorrow

that there is

no sense

of his summons

left in your soul

and you go on

with your life

and you die

without him

today I must

so he hurried

and came down

and you see

he received him

joyfully

if you are delaying

tonight

and coming

to know the Lord

and you're saying

well it's

it's my intention

to come

I do want to come

it is my intention

I will do it

well it's not

just the case

that you may

never have

the opportunity

again to do it

but just think

of what you're

doing in that

very moment

of saying

yes I intend

to do it

because intention

by itself

means present

delay

and present

delay

equals

refusal

have you

have you ever

thought about

delaying

and coming

to Christ

is actually

a refusal

of him

of his summons

on your life

but that's

what it is

what is

your reason

if you're

delaying

tonight

coming to

the Lord

what is

your reason

why are you

doing that

would you go

to himself

tonight

and say

Lord

I hear

your summons

I know

that I

ought to do

it

that it's

my intention

to do it

but here is

why I cannot

do it now

though you're

calling me

to do it

now

can you

say that

to the Lord

of course

you can't

because you

know he

knows better

than that

and that as

he's calling

you to

himself

and as

he's calling

you to

himself

today

here and

now

so he's

impressing

upon you

you cannot

afford to

leave this

beyond today

because the

delay is

equal to

a refusal

and a

refusal

to the

offer of

the king

to the

claim of

the king

to the

summons of

the king

is the

most serious

thing you

can do

it's the

most serious

thing you

can do

in your

life

and you

see he

received him

joyfully

I love that

word and

you love

that those

of us who

know the

Lord love

that emphasis

there we

can relate

to it

he received

him joyfully

Zacchaeus

didn't climb

down from

that tree

and hurry

down to

meet Jesus

reluctantly

he didn't

come down

from that

tree and

said well

I have

to do

it I

suppose I

have to

do it

so I'll

just go

through with

it he

came down

from that

tree and

received

Jesus you

see that's

what it's

saying he

came down

and received

him joyfully

there's such

an emphasis

there on an

embrace by

Zacchaeus of

Jesus the

person of

Jesus and

all that came

to him in

Jesus he

received

Jesus the

summons was

really a

call to

receive Jesus

as his

savior and

he came

down and

he hurried

and came

down and

he received

him joyfully

you had

asked Zacchaeus

years after

this if he

was still

living

Zacchaeus if

you look back

over your

life what

was the most

important day

in your life

what was the

thing that gave

you the greatest

joy there

might have

been many

things that

gave Zacchaeus

great joy in

his life

much satisfaction

but he would

undoubtedly have

said oh I

can tell you

easily what

day is the

most important

in my life

and I can

tell you

equally easily

what it is

that gives me

and gave me

the most joy

and it is this

to have Jesus

as my savior

to have come

to receive him

as he offered

himself to me

the most joyful

day for me

Zacchaeus would

say is the

day I did

not let Jesus

stand and

just go away

without me

responding

the most joyful

day for me

was the day

that Jesus

summoned me

and I responded

and gladly came

to receive him

and surely

that's how it

will be for

yourself

surely

to look back

over your

life

and even

tomorrow to

look back

and say well

I know now

what happiness

really is

because I

received Jesus

I responded

as he called

upon me to do

and hurried

to take him

to myself

I received

him

joyfully

gladly

with relief

that's what

this teaches

us friends

the little

man's big

effort

and the

little man's

big change

he was addressed

by Jesus

and he

accepted Jesus

and you can

see before

your eyes

the change

taking place

Jesus

is addressing

you and

addressing me

tonight

will we

also add

the sub

paragraph

subheading

that's true

of Zacchaeus

not only was

addressed by

Jesus

but he

accepted

Jesus

he received

him

joyfully

and so

thirdly

you see

the little

man's

big heart

now it's

important

that you

actually see

that as soon

as he received

Jesus

joyfully

they all

saw it

and grumbled

he has

gone in

to be

the guest

of a man

who is a

sinner

because

receiving

Jesus

doesn't

make for

an easy

life

and the

Lord is

not saying

this to

us so

that it

will put

you off

receiving

him

or responding

gladly

to his

call

his summons

to come

to receive

him

to accept

him

but he's

putting this

in here

for us

so that

we will

have that

realism

that realizes

that the

world is

going to

be in

many ways

a different

place for

us

when we've

come to

receive Jesus

and people

have come to

realize that

he has

changed our

lives

that we've

become his

disciples

his followers

that we've

become people

who love

him and

follow him

and want

to obey

him and

commend him

to the

world around

us

but then you

see you have

to say well

yes that

makes me

question whether

I should

do it or

not

that's going

to be a

real challenge

for you

yes of course

it's going to

be a real

challenge

but who's

going to be

beside you

who's going

to strengthen

you

who's going

to assure

you as you

go through

with life

from that

point on

that you

receive Jesus

that all is

well with

your soul

he is

he's going

to be the

one beside

you

and you

can have

the whole

of the

world beside

you

and in

your support

but if

Jesus is

against you

what good

will it do

and if

you have

Jesus

with you

what harm

is it

going to

do

if the

whole world

is against

you

because it's

all about

being true

to him

and coming

to know

that he

will never

leave you

he will

never forsake

you

he'll never

be untrue

to his

promises

he'll never

do anything

other than

what he's

promised to

do and to

be for

you

so as

he received

him gladly

he met

with this

opposition

but he

was not

diverted

and he

was not

intimidated

into undoing

what he

had just

done

he came

and the

proof of

change

is in

the words

that he

said

Lord

Lord

behold

Lord

I

half of

my goods

I give

to the

poor

and if

I have

defrauded

anyone of

anything

I restore

it

fourfold

there's the

proof of

the change

just see

the way

the passage

began

he was a

tax collector

he was

rich

he gleaned

from people

as much as

he could

for his

own benefit

but he's

a different

man now

Christ has

changed him

inwardly

and what

he's saying

here about

what he's

going to

do

outwardly

in giving

away

half of

his goods

to feed

the poor

and

restoring

fourfold

to anyone

that he has

defrauded

he would

never have

said that

before he

ran up

the sycamore

tree

what's

happened

to this

man

well

Jesus

has given

him the

kind of

heart

we were

singing

about

and praying

for in

the prayer

of

Psalm

51

create

Lord

in me

a clean

heart

change

my heart

make it a

generous

heart

make it a

heart that

reflects your

generosity

to me

he showed

that the

change was

real

because of

his vow

to be

generous to

the poor

and make

restoration

the change

that Jesus

brings

is a

total

change

not just

a change

of mind

not just

a change

in the

resolutions

you make

to yourself

it's a

change

of heart

it's a

new

view

of life

it's a

new

way

of living

it's a

new

way

of

ordering

your

life

it's

an

entirely

new

behavior

because

even if

we were

very

civil

and

decent

people

all the

way

through

our

lives

that

doesn't

mean

we

don't

need

a

new

heart

when

God

gives

us

that

new

heart

takes

on a

whole

new

perspective

the way

it

looks

at

the

world

the

way

it

looks

at

the

poor

the

way

it

looks

at

the

disadvantaged

the

way

it

looks

at

people

with

a

desire

to

support

them

the

way

it

doesn't

belittle

people

the

way

it

doesn't

disparage

people

who

are

not

so

well

off

us

ourselves

the

way

it

refuses

to

look

down

upon

people

thinking

that

we

somehow

are

best

these

are

the

evidences

of

a

new

heart

that

shows

itself

outwardly

in

behavior

the

faith

that

does

not

lead

to

our

doing

good

really

isn't

faith

the

whole

epistle

of

James

is

an

exposition

of

that

great

principle

that

point

faith

without

works

is

dead

if

Zacchaeus

had

come

down

from

that

tree

gone

back

into

the

house

and

entertained

Jesus

and

said

well

it's

been

good

having

you

thank

you

for

your

attention

but

I'm

just

going

to

go

on

the

way

that

I've

always

lived

I'm

still

going

to

rake

in

the

taxes

I'm

going

to

be

an

extortioner

I'm

going

to

take

as

much

as

I

can

for

myself

it's

a

complete

opposite

it's

a

turnaround

isn't

it

if

he

had

come

and

still

been

determined

to

live

as

he

lived

it

was

a

sign

that

he

had

never

given

his

heart

to

the

Lord

but

he

did

the

little

man

who

made

the

big

effort